When you think of therapy, what typically comes to mind? The answer for most is talk therapy, where a therapist works together with a client to manage their emotional issues and promote positive mental health. The most popular and widely supported form of talk therapy is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which is one of the most effective psychological treatments that have been proven to treat a wide range of issues such as depression, anxiety, and several different forms of trauma. In this blog, we’ll answer questions like: “what is CBT therapy?” while exploring specific CBT exercises and CBT skills that you can implement into your own life to improve mood and mental health.
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Understanding CBT Therapy
CBT specifically focuses on the link between thought and behavior. As a result, the goal of most clients is to change negative thought patterns and behaviors. To achieve this goal, therapists utilize certain CBT strategies and techniques to help guide the client. For example, according to the American Psychological Association (APA) a CBT therapist may approach their work with the client through 5 steps:
- Identify the situation. First, notice a specific situation or instance that caused an upsetting feeling; this can be an event, a memory of an event, just anything that triggered an emotional response.
- Identify the feeling. After identifying the feeling, determine the strongest emotion that you experienced as a result of that situation, such as fear, anxiety, anger, sadness or guilt.
- Identify the thought. Notice your immediate thoughts about the situation, and how they informed your feelings about the situation as well. Doing this will help you understand what is upsetting you about the situation.
- Evaluate the thought. Now that you understand the reason behind your feelings and thoughts, try to examine your thoughts and ask yourself if the thought is based on evidence or feeling.
- Change or replace the thought. The last step is to create a more objective way of approaching the situation based on your evaluation in the previous step. This then transforms the initial upsetting feeling to a more positive, manageable feeling
Utilizing CBT Techniques to Benefit Your Own Mental Health
While CBT is the most effective with the guidance of a trained therapist, you can practice CBT exercises yourself in order to facilitate your healing journey. What are CBT exercises and how can they help though? One great example of CBT exercises is the 5 minute rule, which consists of committing to a task for just 5 minutes. The 5 minute rule helps break the habit of procrastination, and reduces anxious avoidance. While CBT is a great way to maintain an overall positive mental space, CBT can also be extremely beneficial for treating depression and anxiety as well, as it gives clients the opportunity to confront uncomfortable situations, negative attitudes, and avoidant behaviors. CBT can also be used in conjunction with other methods of treatment, like Acceptance and Commitment therapy or EMDR to address issues like anxiety, low self esteem, or obsessive thinking. If you want to learn more, and are interested, schedule anxiety therapy now to start healing!
